


I Feel a Change On The Rise

by CheerfullyCynical



Series: The Shadows Will Run [1]
Category: Shadowhunters (TV), The Mortal Instruments Series - Cassandra Clare
Genre: Author does not know where this is going, F/M, Hiatus, M/M, No beta: we die like men, On Hiatus, Valentine Won in the Uprising, Warlock Alec Lightwood, Warlock!Alec, Werewolf Isabella Lightwood, alternative universe, hurt!Alec, this is gonna be a wild ride
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-06-03
Updated: 2019-06-07
Packaged: 2020-04-07 01:49:17
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 2
Words: 8,143
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19075024
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CheerfullyCynical/pseuds/CheerfullyCynical
Summary: ON A VERY LONG HIATUS. I just love my love for it :( SorryIn a world where Valentine won the Uprising, Alec and Magnus meet and change the very ground they walk on.--------------------Maryse and Robert Lightwood had no choice - Valentine forced them to give up their children and be experimented on. Alec possessed Warlock Blood, creating a Shadowhunter-Warlock hybrid. Isabella received Werewolf blood, but is unable to receive runes. Jace, In the interim, is an anomaly.Meanwhile, the Downworld is in shambles. Valentine's forces are getting stronger by the minute. The Clave is slowly losing hope of winning the war. Downworlders are going 'missing'. Magnus is trying to save his people.It takes hope to start a new millennia and that's exactly what Alec has.





	1. Chapter One

Alec woke up to a sharp pain in his side.

Unconcerned, given that it was a common occurrence, he turned his head away from the small sunbeam directly in his eyes and groaned. He moved his arm from underneath his brother, Jace, and attempted to untangle his other arm from Izzy’s tight grip.

“Fuck off,” Izzy told him gruffly, not opening her eyes yet, “The alarm hasn’t gone off yet.”

“Please,” Jace scoffed, easily lifting himself off the ground. He was always one to be wide awake the moment he opened his eyes, “Given Alec’s uncanny skill of knowing the time, we probably have another minute of freedom.”

Alec’s lips twitched, recognizing the inside joke. Alec _did_ have an unusual gift of always knowing when they were late without looking at a clock, but he was teased mercilessly but his siblings for it.

“At least we have another minute,” Alec officially pulled his arm away from Izzy and stood up, unbothered by the simple surroundings around him. Their room was nearly not big enough to fit the three of them, “Besides, it’s Friday. We should get ready.”

Izzy groaned obnoxiously, still not getting up from the ground. “Oh joy. _Training_ day.”

No one said anything to that. It was hard to joke about such a thing when it only brought them pain. Training day, after all, was called Torture day by most of the residence. While the name itself was not a comfort in the slightest, it created a healthy dose of ironic comedy that Valentine’s group of freaks craved.

Alec glanced down at the silver band lined with angelic runes around both his wrists – Almost every Warlock-Shadowhunter hybrid wore one when not on duty. Alec, however, was an extra freak who needed two wrists bands. He was freakishly powerful, enough so that he was able to break one band.

That consequences of such a daring escape made years ago were ragged, crisscrossing lines of scars across Alec’s arms. His siblings still flinched when they caught the light.

Jace, meanwhile, was unbound, given that he had angel blood. Though none of Valentine’s followers or Valentine himself have figured out what that entailed yet, Jace was subjected to the same treatment as the rest of them.

Izzy was cursed with Werewolf blood. Perhaps the ugliest way of binding a Werewolf hybrid was with the use of a thick silver collar. Izzy was one of the lucky ones – she was able to completely shift into Werewolf form yet could not receive any runes. Silver only burned her when she shifted, exactly why should could wear it now.

The loud, obnoxious alarm broke Alec out of his thoughts. Sighing loudly, Alec grabbed his uniform and stole the bathroom before any of his siblings could complain about it.

When the door was shut, Alec wasted no time. His bathroom time was limited to five minutes, causing a crazy frenzy of movement the moment he walked into the bathroom. He barely looked over himself in the mirror, not willing to see the large deflect rune on his neck – another way that he was a freak.

The cold shower did nothing to soothe his thoughts. In fact, it brought a painful tinge to stab wound on his side. By the time he was done, Jace was banging on the door – their warning that he was almost out of time. He groaned, forgoing shampoo and toweled himself of quickly.

With ease, he slipped into the all black uniform and made his way out of the small room. The two switched places without a word.

Izzy was still curled up on the floor, enjoying the extra ten minutes of sleep before her turn was up. “Maybe we’ll get a mission.” Alec commented, sitting himself down on the concrete ground and leaning his back against the wall.

Izzy snorted sarcastically, “They only need us when there’s a powerful idiot on the lose,” Izzy got up, and stretched obnoxiously, “They don’t want to send their ‘best team’ for the simple stuff.”

The best team – what other bullshit. The only reason they were considered the best was because of the way the three worked together. Considering they were one of the earlier experiments, they were trained the most brutal. Fighting came easy to the three of them.

Jace finished in a record amount of time and faster than lightning Izzy replaced him.

Jace shook his head with a smile on his face, “Why did we agree that she gets ten minutes instead of five?”

“Because we value our sanity,” Alec told him, lips also quirking, “Also, Izzy is scary when she doesn’t get her long shower.”

“Good point,” Jace agreed, twirling the stele between his fingers. How he was allowed to keep it, Alec wasn’t sure, but at least Jace always had a weapon. “You think we’ll have to deal with Penhollows today?”

Alec shook his head, “Don’t think so. Last I heard, they failed their mission to obtain the New York Alpha. Probably still in isolation.”

Jace hummed, not looking surprised in the slightest, “Good. They give us enough shit.”

The Penhollows were an annoying bunch. Somehow, they figured they were the best there was. They loved to torture the new kids and often lead the kids astray. Alec was always first to stop them, but that often lead to fights that had both groups suffering for it.

There was a loud, echoing knock on their door. “Let’s go, Lightwoods! Two minutes!”

Jace rolled his eyes, obviously frustrated. It was, after all, only seven in the morning.

Izzy burst her way out of the bathroom, looking graceful as ever. She was officially awake.

“Let’s go, boys.” She said with a dazzling smile, throwing open the door to their cell. Alec did a quick step in front of Izzy, making sure that he was ahead of her. If any guards surprised them, he wanted to be the first to deal with it.

The guards didn’t even glance at them. They made their way, single file, to the biggest room of the ship, usually where they were all allowed a twenty minute breakfast. There was assigned seating by race, so Alec was separated from Izzy and Jace. Jace, at least, was allowed to sit with Isabelle because he had no other place to go.

He made his way to his seat without much of a fuss, greeting the rest of the people at the table with a head nod. They were not allowed to talk, but it was nice to have people that understood what magic felt like close by.

Bland, sludgy oatmeal and a large couple of water was placed in front of him by one of the cafeteria workers – or, Shadowhunters that had managed to fuck up a mission. Their punishment was often cooking and cleaning for Valentine’s experiments. This week, luckily, none of Valentine’s followers were violent.  

The Shadowhunter-Warlock, Andrew, next to him was playing with the band around his wrist. Alec couldn’t help but watch him. He had a stormy expression on his face and was glaring at one of the guards.

Alec purposely bumped his foot against him, shaking his head slightly when Andrew turned to look at him. Andrew nearly opened his mouth to say something, but Alec stopped him with a fierce glare.

Without talking, Alec rolled up the sleeves of his long sweatshirt and revealed the thin line of scars all across his arms. He tapped the band, trying to say what would happen if Andrew attempted an escape.

Andrew had only been here for three weeks. He had never revealed his last name, but it was clear that he was a rebel Shadowhunter with the Clave. Andrew’s screams had been heard for five days straight as they all took bets on what kind of hybrid he would turn out to be.

Andrew got the message. He nodded ever so slightly at Alec, nearly sinking in on himself. Alec hated to take away his hope, but it was better than _being_ hopeful in a place like this.

The Warlocks around him relaxed, obviously aware of what Andrew was thinking.

“Listen up!”

Alec nearly rolled his eyes but resisted. Instead, he forced himself to look at his superior – a rather unattractive Shadowhunter with an even uglier scar that started from the left side of his hair line, then straight down all the way to the middle of his neck.

It was a shame the blow didn’t kill the man.

“Every one of you freaks is to report to their assigned training deck on the upper levels. Waste my time today and you’ll spend the rest of your days in isolation. Get up!”

So, his superior was in one of _those_ moods. How very luckily for the rest of them. Alec followed the rest of them as they got up from their seats, moving towards the only door in the place. Just as he made it through the doorway, an arm to his chest stopped him.

“Not you.” His Superior said, smiling wickedly, “You and the rest of the Lightwood freaks are going on a mission.”

Alec kept his face blank even as his felt his heart skip a beat. A mission was _never_ a good thing – though it gave them a slight freedom away from this awful place, it was always something _worse._

The worst mission Alec had been on was by himself. There were days where he laid awake a night, nauseas as he remembered the face of the child he was forced to kill. It was the same day that Alec had tried to escape.

“Yes, sir.” Alec said, forcing himself to look blankly in front of him.

Jace and Izzy were treated to the same treatment. They glanced at each other, putting everything they could never say in the small moment.

 _“I love you,”_ their eyes said, “ _We’ll be okay.”_

They followed one of the guards to the Ops Center, legs heavily. Alex would have rather been put in isolation for a whole month than be faced with whatever Valentine’s followers wanted him to do.

When they arrived at the Ops Center, it was to face someone Alec had never seen before.

She was beautiful – red hair and fierce green eyes that spoke of battles won and confidence. She was shorter than Alec, but that didn’t stop him from feeling smaller.

“So these are Valentine’s secret little weapons, huh?” She asked the guard behind them. Her eyes never strayed from Alec’s. “Each a different race?”

“Yes, Ma’am.” The guard replied. He, for some reason, seemed nervous.

“And what are you?” She asked Alec, eyes glancing at the bands around his waist, “I assume you can do something useful?”

Alec felt his face flush. He had never liked attention and it was rare for a Superior to directly interact with them.

“He’s a Warlock freak, ma’am,” The guard answered for him, “Smithwell usually assigns him to be Team Leader.”

She hummed, eyes once again looking at the bands around his wrists. Quicker than lightning, she grabbed his right arm, long nails leaving indents on his skin. It took everything in Alec not to react to harsh grip.

“And the cute accessary?” The red head raised a hand to stop the guard from answering, “I would like to hear it speak.”

Alec nearly bit his tongue, “It binds my magic.”

The gripped on his wrist got tighter, “When addressing me, I think I deserve respect, don’t you think? Try again.”

Jace shifted slightly next to him, looking ready to explode. He was never one to follow authority, especially one that he directly didn’t agree with. Alec wouldn’t let him get hurt. Izzy was in the same state, looking ready to pounce on the woman.

“It binds my magic,” Alec repeated, words blank and without emotion, “Ma’am.”

Alec had always been proud at the way he could control his emotions. Well, proud was not the correct word for it. _Relieved_ that he was able to hide anything he needed to. If he wasn’t able to, Alec had no doubt that he would have tried to take her down.

She dug her nails into his arms, but Alec refused to flinch. She finally released him, turning towards the glowing blue map behind her.

“We’re apprehending one of Valentine’s greatest enemies today,” She told them. She moved the map around, zooming in on a specific building, “Magnus Bane, High Warlock of Brooklyn years ago, has been successfully taking out any Warlock containment sites in New York for the past ten years. We finally found his base.”

“Warlock,” She spoke as if the word burned her, “You will be taking down the wards. The other two will deal with any other… _Problems._ You will alert the rest of the men when the ward is down. _”_

The three of them said nothing. That was _it?_ It sounded too simple.

“Do you understand?” The woman said, looking at them. Her eyes spoke volumes – disobey, and there would be consequences.

“Yes, Ma’am.” They replied, more on instinct than anything else.

The woman gestured to the two guards, who began taking off their bindings. Alec felt his magic _sing_ as it flooded his veins, nearly causing Alec to smile. It had been a long time since _both_ of the bands were allowed to be off. They gave the bands back to Alec for him to put in his pockets – another rule to show that Alec had no way of escaping.

Izzy was rolling her neck, eyes glowing green. She looked nearly feral.

They looked ready for battle.

“Open the portal.” The woman commanded the room.

The Warlock, not a hybrid, moved his arms with a grace that Alec felt jealous with as he created a portal. Alec’s training was focused mostly on his Shadowhunter abilities to the point where Alec _only_ knew how to bring down wards. He was never allowed to learn how to fight or even use his magic.

For a moment, Alec wondered why _this_ Warlock couldn’t bring down the wards. If Valentine had a Warlock committed to his cause or, at least, one that was following them for some reason, why was Alec needed?

He didn’t have time to dwell on it. Seraph blades and steles were placed in both Jace’s and Alec’s hands. Izzy was allowed her signature weapon – a whip – while Alec’s bow was forced in his hands.

The same bow that had killed a child.

He swung it over his back, refusing to look at it too long. Thankfully, the portal was open in another second and Alec was forced to follow two of Valentine’s men as they prepared to take down this…Magnus Bane.

They arrived on the busy streets of New York City. Alec was forced to blink harshly as his eyes adjusted to the sun. The mundanes around them huffed as they blocked the street, but Alec didn’t mind.

Being on solid ground, on _land_ , felt better than Alec could ever imagine. Not seeing water every time he saw sunlight was beyond refreshing – It was freeing.

Without another word, Jace was drawing an iratze on his arm before one of the guards could complain. Alec breathed in, glad to feel the stab wound on his side slowly close. Alec nodded at Jace in thanks, who winked obnoxiously at him.

“Come on,” One of the guards grunted to the other, “That bitch will kill us if we don’t hurry up.”

The other man huffed, “If these freaks can’t bring down the wards-”

The other man hushed him, walking up towards a building. Alec recognized it from the map. Alec went to take another step, but he suddenly felt a slight resistance. Magnus Bane’s wards protected the entire building, a feat onto itself. They were _strong._

Alec closed his eyes, focusing. There was so much _magic_ here, yet it didn’t feel harmful to Alec in the slightest. Instead, Bane’s magic called to him, nearly trying to interact with Alec’s own magic. Grunting, Alec placed his hands in front of him, bringing his signature gold color to his hands.

“Come on, freak,” The guard complained, “Do it already!”

“Shut up,” Jace said, looking at the man with a steely expression on his face, “You’re dead without us. Next time you say another word about my brother-”

“ _You_ say another word,” The guard told him, “And I’ll be cutting out your kidney.”

Izzy growled at the man, eyes flashing, “You idiots couldn’t take us in a fight if your lives depended on it!”

They couldn’t afford to do this. If they were caught talking to their superiors like this, Izzy and Jace would be locked in solitary for _weeks._

“Enough,” Alec grunted, looking at his siblings, “Focus on the mission.”

Alec closed his eyes once again, calling on his magic. He felt the warm, inviting heat from before. Frowning, getting distracted by it, he pushed himself harder, grunting with effort as his magic pulsed, finally bringing down the wards.

As always, he put up wards of his own up. Gracefully, he swung his arms in an arc, focusing on the building in front of him. Taking a deep breath, he pushed every bit of magic he had into making sure that the people inside could not portal away.

Stars danced in his vision, but his siblings were quick to guide him inside. Before Alec knew what was happening, the two men were running up the stars, all the way to the top. Alec felt his heartbeat fast in his chest, a warning of a battle coming.

He unsheathed his blade, covering both Jace’s and Izzy’s back as they apparently arrived at Bane’s door. On the simple count of three, one man kicked down the door.

Chaos exploded around him. Alec got a glimpse of the room inside – of the many people inside – when he felt himself being lifted up in the air. With a grunt of effort, he landed back on his feet, blade still out.

Izzy had been knocked into a wall, but she was okay. Jace was already charging at one of their Warlock attackers.

But Alec only had eyes for the people behind who Jace was fighting…

Children were hiding behind their fellow Warlocks. One of them was trying to lead them into a different room, but Valentine’s man had already blocked the way. One girl, maybe only four years old, was crying into their mother’s shoulder, nearly screaming. The older children were trying to help the younger, but they were being forced back.

Alec froze, the arrow that he already notched quivering slightly. A man – a Warlock – with golden cat eyes had furious sparks of blue emitting for his hands. He was in front of all of the others, eyeing every opponent with a keen eye.

He was…He was stunning. Each spell he cast seemed almost effortless – the way he moved was beyond human grace – cat like and elegant and dangerous all at once. He was not someone Alec wanted to fight up close.

Alec had his arrow pointed at him, a perfect shot to the heart that he no doubt the man could evade.

He glanced once again at the screaming child behind him, reminded fiercely of a different lifetime. He couldn’t do it again.

“Jace!” Alec called, not knowing how to communicate what exactly he wanted.

Time slowed. Alec felt himself shifting his body, moving away from the Warlock and to one of Valentine’s men. He was pulling one of the women by the hair, the little boy in her arms nearly falling from her arms.

Alec shot one of Valentine’s man right through the heart.

The room stopped. Valentine’s man turned to look at him, surprise and shock etched on his face, and then collapsed, dead. His partner made a shout of protest, but he wasn’t fast enough to avoid Jace’s strikes. In another second, Jace had shoved his own blade through the monster’s chest.

A moment passed. The Warlock with the beautiful blue magic was still staring at him, his expression not giving anything away.

“ _Shit._ ” Izzy breathed, “Alec…?”

Alec was staring at the man he had shot. His mind couldn’t seem to keep up.

He had shot him – he had killed one of Valentine’s men. He couldn’t go back – they would kill him and the rest of his family without a second thought. If they caught him…If they caught Izzy or Jace? He couldn’t let that happen.

“We have to go.” Alec told his siblings, head still spinning, “We-they’re going to send a team soon.” Alec looked at the beautiful man, “If I take down the wards, can you portal everyone to somewhere safe?”

Magnus Bane – because who else could it be? – looked closely at him, “Why would I trust you?”

“Dude,” Jace said for him, “We just risked more than our _lives_ to save your people. You-”

“We don’t have _time.”_ Alec told them.

Not knowing if he was making a mistake or not, Alec called upon his magic once again. It rushed to help him, easily tearing down the already flimsy wards that he had in place.

Magnus Bane took his trust in stride. “Catarina, open up a portal to the next safe location. Anyone who can, use a glamor on yourself.”

Bane waved his arms. Again, effortlessly, a portal appeared. He moved towards Alec, much to his surprise, and looked at him closely.

“Come with me.” He said finally, finding _something_ in Alec that he didn’t understand.   

Alec opened his mouth, but was interrupted by…his magic, warning him about an incoming danger. Alec had never felt anything like it before.

“We should go with him,” Izzy said, looking at Alec. She looked as determined as ever. “If they find out that you and Jace killed those two…”

Alec swallowed, _knowing_ Izzy was right. This was all too much – Alec’s whole life, his family’s lives, were on the line. If he was wrong about Bane, he could get them hurt. But if they stayed, _maybe_ tried to make it on their own, how far could they get without the Circle finding them?

Alec heard footsteps coming up the stairs – the exact thing his magic was warning him about.

Alec couldn’t afford _not_ to trust him He nodded at Bane, “Okay.”

Then they were moving. Without hesitation, Alec grabbed a girl that had fallen behind in the commotion and gently rocked her in his arms, rushing into the portal just as Izzy and Jace disappeared behind it.

Alec felt the portal’s magic take hold, and then…

They were safe.


	2. Chapter 2

They arrived at what looked to be a regular apartment, though slightly less…Put together. Outside, instead of a sunny day in New York, it was raining heavily. There was no furniture, but Alec saw a hallway that had at least five rooms.

The girl in Alec’s arms was wiggling. Knowing that she wanted to be on the ground, he slowly and carefully let her do so. Her mother – a woman with green skin and horns - rushed to gather her in her arms, saying a quick and curt “thank you” to Alec before moving away.

But Alec had barely heard the woman. Instead, his eyes were glued to Magnus Bane. He was comforting the Warlock child that Alec had saved, smiling with his eyes and saying something that had the girl giggling into her mother’s leg.

However, even with that display, Bane looked exhausted. He was quietly ordering the other Warlocks to their rooms. Some kept glancing at the three of them suspiciously, but no one said a word about it. Another woman, the one that Bane had order before, was saying something about injured people, ushering them to one room.

“You did the right thing.” Jace said suddenly, almost too quiet for Alec to hear. Alec lost his focus on the commotion around him and instead looked at his siblings.

They were watching the mass chaos with a critical eye – yet, it was different them. It was clear to Alec that they were looking for threats - Jace had his blade held loosely at his side but his eyes flickered to every moment. Izzy was much the same. Her whip, through another Warlock’s enchantment, was back in bracelet form, but Izzy was twitching her fingers constantly.

Izzy looked at him closely then turned her eyes back to the crowd. “We couldn’t let them hurt those kids.”

Though their words were reassuring, Alec still felt guilt claw at his heart, “I didn’t give you guys a choice. I should have-”

_Asked you if this is what you wanted. Asked if you trusted Magnus Bane - Been prepared for something like this. Agreed with running away._

The crowd around them was slowly dispersing. Bane was talking to one last person, nodding respectfully at the man before turning and walking towards them.

“If you did anything else,” Bane’s said, looking at them with a critical eye. How did he hear them? “You would have died – either by me or by your associates.”

No one else was in the small living room except the four of them, yet Alec had never felt like he had more eyes on him in that very moment.

“The girl,” Alec asked, needing to know, “The woman who that Circle member was trying to kill, is she okay?”

Bane’s eyes never left his own – Though his golden cat eyes were gone, probably with a glamor, Alec still felt as though he was being judged by the second, “My people have faced much worse than someone pulling their hair.”

“Hey,” Jace said indignantly, “We’re not the Circle. You don’t get to put what they did on us.”

“Ah,” Bane replied, crossing his arms over his chest. He looked far too casual for it to be an interrogation, “So you were, what? Working for the Circle and had a change of heart?”

“No!” Alec said, just a bit too quickly. He blushed, never being good with words. “No.” He amended, quieter, “I honestly don’t know enough about the rest of the world and what they know, but we’re not _with_ the Circle.”

If anything, Bane lost most of his aggression. Instead, he looked confused.

“I’m…I’m Alec. And I’m a…” _Freak, abomination, monster,_ “Warlock-Shadowhunter hybrid. When I was eight, Valentine forced demon blood into my blood. Isabelle, my sister, has werewolf blood, and Jace has angel blood.”

Bane was blinking, processing the information. He opened his mouth, then closed it. A moment passed, yet the man said nothing.

“Great,” Jace said, “You broke him.”

Bane growled at him slightly, coming back to life, “Sorry if that’s a lot to take in. I’ve only ever heard rumors about it, but no one has ever confirmed it.”

“Your magic,” Alec asked, unable to help himself, “How did you do the – the blue thing? The orb?”

Bane tilted his head at him, “I’ve seen your magic,” He replied, suspicious, “Don’t patronize me by saying you cannot summon yours. You are the one who managed to take down my wards, correct?”

Alec blushed, “Y-yeah. I’m – uh – sorry about that. But-but that’s all I know how to do-the wards.”

You couldn’t practice a skill when it was constantly bound away from you. Alec refused to be embarrassed for not knowing what Bane was talking about.

Bane’s eyebrow nearly went to his hairline. “You can take down wards…But you can’t call on your magic?”

Alec shook his head slightly, shrugging, “This is probably the longest I’ve had access to my magic.”

“I…” Bane shook his head, “It’s been a long time since I’ve been this confused. But, as you can tell by the empty room, I have time to hear your story…At a cost.”

“What?” Izzy asked, looking pissed, “We don’t owe you anything-”

“Izzy.” Alec reprimanded. They couldn’t afford to get on Bane’s bad side, not while he was offering them protection from the Circle.

All of this was happening far too fast.

“Your darling sister has no reason to worry,” Bane said, offering them just the smallest of smiles. Alec’s heart skipped a beat at the sight, “My price has two simple clauses – Those weapons? I don’t want you to have immediate access to them. In what I consider a fair compromise, I say that you can leave them in this room, but in a drawer.

“No way,” Jace said instantly, furious. “We won’t give up the only thing we have to defend ourselves.”

“ _Jace._ ” Alec growled, wanting to hit his brother for his stupidity. Honestly, piss off the person giving them shelter? Yeah, the was the greatest idea in the world. Bane wasn’t asking them to _dispose_ of their weapons. He was only asking them to keep them away and _slightly_ out of reach. It wasn’t _such_ a bad notion. And his weapon would still be in his eyesight.

 “They’d be in this room?” Alec asked, “We can still use them if we have to?”

Bane considered his words, nodding ever so slightly, “I can agree to that.”

Alec looked at Izzy and Jace. Jace was still furious (an emotion he often used to hide what he was truly feeling) while Izzy didn’t seem bothered by it in the least. After all, her werewolf blood was enough to fight with without her whip.

Jace glared at Alec, but eventually he dropped his blade to the ground, the light from it dying. Alec placed his bow and arrows with it while Izzy simply dropped hers onto of the now growing pile.

“And the rest of the deal?” Izzy asked.

“You let me know if you decide to leave.”

Alec found himself surprised by the simple request. After all, they were at Bane’s mercy – he could have probably asked anything of the trio and they would have done it. It was…Interesting to note that he didn’t consider such a thing.

“That’s the deal?” Jace asked, suspicious, “You just want us to let you know if we book it?”

“If it’s the same to you, Blondie,” Bane said, causing Izzy to snort, “I will trust your brother’s word over yours.”

 “Why?” Alec asked him, honestly confused, “Twenty minutes ago, we were fighting you. Now you let us into your home…?”

Bane looked at him once again, straight into his eyes. Alec didn’t’ dare look away, “I trust you,” Bane said at last, “I don’t know it that’s a wise decision yet, but I’m willing to give you the benefit of doubt.”

The three of them glanced at each other, confused. However, Alec wasn’t one to turn down a deal so simple. “I promise to let you know if we decide to leave.”

Magnus Bane smiled wide – he looked like an Angel. “Excellent.” With a snap of his fingers, furniture appeared in the small living room, much to Alec’s amazement. Their weapons were placed, now neatly, inside a glass coffee table. Alec followed their journey with a keen eye, making sure Bane’s magic didn’t do anything to them. The table was also transparent. There was no doubt in Alec’s mind that Bane used glass for that exact reason

The room lit up with lights, and the smell of food wafted into the small room.

Alec’s mouth watered at the sight of the variety of food in front of him. “I never did like an empty apartment,” Bane said, strolling towards the small kitchen and gracefully grabbing what looked like a fancy piece of bread. “Nor an empty stomach.”

None of them moved. Though Jace’s stomach growled loudly, they were trained not to take food without getting permission first. Yet…They were no longer in the Circle’s clutches.

“Help yourself,” Bane said, as if it was the easiest thing the world, “Blondie, don’t drool on my floors.”

It was a testament to how hungry Jace was that he didn’t respond to the insult. Faster than lightning, Jace’s hand took one of the fancy bread things that Alec was eyeing and took a large bite of it, nearly moaning.

“Guod.” Jace said to them. He swallowed loudly, “Really, really good.”

“The…Croissant?” Bane asked, “I suppose it’s decent. These aren’t even from my favorite bakery in Paris.”

Izzy took a bite next, eyes fluttering, “Yeah.” She moaned.

Alec finally took one from the basket, self-conscious as he saw some of the flakes fall to the ground. He bit into it, receiving a blast of flavor that had Alec’s mouth salivating. It was the best thing he had ever tasted.

Alec had to make himself slow down. Jace, meanwhile, was already on his second.

“T-thanks.” Alec said, remembering some of his manners, “Really, this is the best thing I’ve tasted in…Forever.”

“Right,” Bane said, still confused, “What is it you normally eat?”

“Oatmeal.” The three replied at once, nearly wincing as a unit as well. Food, to the Lightwoods, was a necessity, not something to enjoy. They had nearly the same meal for _years._

“And...?” Bane asked, eyes widening in…Horror? “Anything else?”

Alec shook his head slightly, wondering if that was unusual. “Do you get to have this all the time?” He asked him. Was that what _normal_ people got to do?

Bane opened his mouth, words leaving him. He nodded at him, looking incredibly sad. “Perhaps I don’t want to hear your story.” He whispered.

“Do you remember that kid, Ralph?” Jace said suddenly, grabbing yet another piece of bread, “When he first showed up and he complained more about the food than the actual training? I think I get it.”

Izzy let out a sound of agreement, “I think I would have killed for this.”  

“How did you do-” Alec flicked his hands around the room, “All of this?”

Alec once again looked around the room. It really was quite amazing what Magnus’s magic managed to accomplish with just a snap of his fingers. The furniture was black, matching the glass coffee table. The kitchen, even, had changed a completely different color – an ugly green to a tasteful blue.

It was incredible what the other Warlock had accomplished.

“A simple summoning spell,” Bane continued, looking lost, “Nothing too hard. Much like calling on your magic.”

Alec nodded, still a bit lost. “What does that mean? Calling your magic?”

“Before I answer that, and though I loath to ask,” Bane said, looking uncomfortable, “Who taught you how to take down wards?”

Alec didn’t understand why that would be something bad to talk about. “I read about it,” He told him, “It was a part of my studies.”

“Studies,” Bane echoed. “So a Warlock taught you?”

“No,” Alec said slowly, “I was given a book on wards. And then they took me on missions until I figured it out. When I no longer needed to practice, they would bind my magic.”

“Bind your magic,” Bane looked sick, “How? With what?”

Alec winced, reminding himself that Bane had been kind and reasonable the entire time. Back at where they were held, people already knew not to ask about the bands and other devices on hybrids. Most of the time, it was painful to talk about.

But Alec couldn’t refuse a request from Bane – It wasn’t necessarily that he feared he would anger him, it was more of a…A want, to show his trust.

Alec opened his pocket, getting out the two bands that were there. As always, they burned in his hands, but he was used to it. “When I wasn’t on a mission, I would wear these.”

Bane reached for them, but Alec drew back his hand, “It burns,” Alec explained, “Well, it burns me, anyway.”

Without prompting, Magnus’s hand glowed blue. “May I?” He asked, gesturing to the bracelet. Alec shrugged, placing the band on the kitchen counter. Just as Magnus’s magic touched it, the bracelet glowed a harsh red, nearly melting part of the table.

“What…?” Magnus asked, looking at it in utter bafflement. His eyes glanced to Alec’s wrists. Feeling embarrassed once again, Alec pulled the sleeves of his uniform down, hiding what he knew was an ugly burn scar on both of his wrists.  

His siblings said nothing at his action, used to it, but Bane was quick to catch it. “I see.” He said, his hand no longer glowing. “You do not have to, but may I see your wrists?”

Izzy shifted slightly, but Alec found himself still wanting to be honest with Bane. Shaking a little, he pulled back the sleeves on his uniform, revealing the crisscrossing scars. The ugliest, of course, was the permanent and constantly healing burn marks.

Bane hissed, looking at his arm. He didn’t touch him, but his hand was hovering near him. It was like Bane was resisting the urge to draw closer to Alec. “The wrist I understand,” He said lowly, “But the scars. Did the band also…?”

“No,” Jace answered for Alec, knowing that it was a sensitive topic, “And it’s personal.”

“It’s alright,” Alec told Jace, smiling at his brother in thanks, “I – uh – tried to escape. I pushed my magic to its limits, destroying the band during a mission.”

Bane didn’t look happy, “But those scars aren’t from burns.”

“No,” Izzy said, voice rough. She never liked discussing it. “That was Alec’s _punishment_.”

Bane took a deep breath of air in, eyes incredibly sad for the strangers in front of him. “I was right,” He said, “I didn’t want to hear your story.” Bane shook his head, “If you feel comfortable enough, I can heal the current burns.”

“Magic can do that?” Alec asked him, much more interested in that than Bane’s kind offer, “Can it heal any injury? What about demon poisoning?”

“Sorry,” Jace told Bane, “Alec has always been addicted to learning. He spends more time reading books than anything else.”

“Rude.” Alec said, blushing slightly.

“May I?” Bane asked, ignoring the lot of them. Alec couldn’t blame him, “Heal your wrists, I mean?”

Alec froze, not liking the idea of a stranger healing him. Yet, so far, Bane had been kind the entire time, even offering them food – hell, and shelter. What was the harm. “Y-yeah. Okay.”

Bane smiled wide – a wonderful sight that Alec wanted to see forever. The man gestured for him to hold out his arm once again. Bane’s hand once again glowed blue, but it looked to be harder than whatever Magnus was doing before.

Just a Magnus put his hand close enough for his magic to touch the injury, Alec felt his own magic reacting to it. Gasping, Alec’s fingers tingled slightly as golden sparks trailed up and down his arm, following Magnus’s.

Alec closed his eyes, trying desperately to stop it, “Sorry- sorry.” He muttered. “It really does what it wants.”

When Alec opened his eyes, Magnus was smiling, “That’s normal for Warlocks.” Bane told him kindly, but Alec was honestly distracted by the _feel_ of the other man’s magic – just as warm as his wards had been. It was so comfortable.

“That’s pretty.” Izzy commented, watching the blue and gold sparks almost dance around each other.

Bane’s magic stopped. To Alec’s surprise, it didn’t do much for the burns.

“Don’t worry,” Magnus told him, “I was testing your magic. I didn’t want to alarm you. I want you to do that again, exactly the same, but focus on _healing_ your wrist. Envision the skin mending itself.”

Alec blushed once again, “I-I don’t think-”

“You won’t know until you try.” Bane continued, “And I’m here if you need guidance.”  

Alec huffed, feeling his siblings’ eyes on him. He closed his eyes, focusing on that familiar weight in his chest. He pictured his magic moving towards his wrists – pictured the scarred skin mending itself almost into perfection. He felt a familiar buzz move almost _away_ from him, and then a cooling surface over his injuries.

He opened his eyes, watching as a god mist settled over his wrists. Shocked, the connection broke instantly. However, when the sparks faded away, most of the blisters were gone. Instead, there was only a red, angry outline.

“Woah.” Alec whispered, flexing his wrists. He didn’t know he could do _any_ of that.

“Woah, indeed,” Bane replied. When Alec looked up, Magnus was smiling. “Impressive for your first try.”

Truly, Magnus’s smile was the best thing Alec had ever seen. His smile lit up his eyes, making small creases appear. Somehow, it brought Alec’s eyes to Magnus’s entire person – his perfectly made up hair, the powerful, elegant makeup on his face, and the smile only made the man even more beautiful than he already was. Alec could probably stare at his face for hours and never be bored.

“Could have used that one a week ago,” Jace grumbled, but was eyeing Alec’s wrists in awe. Alec was instantly brought back to the present, but he still felt the blush on his face, “Last time we use any healing runes on you.”

“Runes?” Bane echoed, “It’s stupid of me to ask, but _normal_ runes work on you as well?”

Alec once again felt self-conscious, “All of them do. I’m one of the only ones back at the base that can handle runes.”

“The base?” Bane shook his head, “I assume that will come up later. How about you start from the beginning? The… Experiments – what did they do to you exactly?”

So, the three of them started at the beginning. There were points where Magnus looked entirely uncomfortable, maybe even sad, at some of their…Darker moments. Yet, he was a good listener, never interrupting unless he was completely lost.

They started with how they were trained, on what they knew of Valentine’s movements (close to nothing), and, eventually, their own skills. It soon morphed into their everyday life on the ship, including how many of Valentine’s experiments there were now. Which led to Bane asking how many there were when Valentine started the experiments.

“It was just a couple of other kids,” Alec recalled, refusing to get lost in those memories, “I’m still not sure why, but Valentine was the one to…”

Alec couldn’t say it.

“I’m the only one Valentine stayed to see change,” Jace said, looking casual. Alec knew from experience that that was when Jace was at his best, “The man watched every moment of my…Transformation.”

“We only found out a year ago that his runes work better than most Shadowhunters,” Izzy filled in, looking worriedly at Jace. Alec was also surprised the Jace offered up that bit of information.

Magnus said nothing, probably because there wasn’t anything he could say to make that any better. Considering what Alec knew about Magnus Bane, that he was once The High Warlock of Brooklyn, Alec had no doubt that Magnus had met Valentine.

“And how old are you now?” Bane asked quietly, sensing the terrible mood, “How long have you been on that ship?”

“I’m eighteen,” Alec answered, “Roughly the same age as Jace. Izzy is two years younger than us. We, uh, don’t often get to step on land. Only on missions.”

“Feels great,” Izzy told him, “I mean, we were trained not to get sea sickness, so there’s that.”

“Eighteen,” Magnus muttered, “You spent ten years there? Alone?”

“Not alone,” Jace argued, “We had each other. Us Lightwoods stick together.”

The glass of water that Magnus had in his hand had suddenly shattered. Alec flinched away from the noise, surprised more than anything else. Instantly, as if to rectify his mistake, Bane snapped his fingers and the glass was once again whole.

“Lightwoods,” Magnus said hoarsely, “You’re Lightwoods?”

“Jace is adopted,” Alec said, still a little spooked by such a reaction, “But Izzy and I are Lightwoods. Is that... A problem?”

Bane got up from his seat, looking towards the window – it was now a violent thunderstorm outside. It was almost peaceful. “I know your mother.”

Alec thought he had misheard. “What.”

“I know your mother.” Magnus said again, turning towards them. He stayed silent, maybe to let them process that information.

Alec’s heart was beating rapidly in his chest. The last time he had seen his mother, she was fighting for her life, begging Valentine not to take them away. She was beautiful – fierce, protective, and a Clave soldier. In what Alec assumed was her last moment, she was the prettiest thing Alec had ever seen.

“You’re lying,” Izzy said, voice thick with emotion, “She wouldn’t have let us-”

“Don’t-” Alec told his sister, looking at her, “ _Don’t,_ Izzy.”

“If you’re lying,” Jace said, pointing a finger at Bane, looking _wrecked,_ “I’ll-”

“I swear to you,” Bane nearly whispered, eyes soft. Alec had never seen such a kind face, “She’s alive. She’s still fighting with the Clave – one of the Commanders from what I understand.”

Izzy let out of breath of air, “But…”

Alec wanted to hug her, to do _something_ to take away her pain, but he found himself frozen to his seat. Thankfully, Jace was there instead, letting her lean her weight against him.

His mother was alive. His mother that had fought so hard to keep them away from the fate they had suffered. She was fighting against the Circle – technically, against her own children.

“And…” Izzy said, tears in her eyes, “Our father?”

Alec didn’t dare hope.

When Bane looked to the ground, Alec already knew the answer.

“I’m sorry you had to learn like this,” Magnus said, “From me, of all people.”

“No,” Alec said, still processing, “This is… Much better than we could ever hope for. Just… A lot. I saw her…”

Alec closed his eyes, holding back his tears. Why he was crying, he wasn’t sure, but his emotions have never been so out of line.

“I have to get my people to the next safe house,” Bane began again, after a suffocating amount of silence, “But after today, there will be no more functioning Warlock Containment Centers in New York. I’m reporting back to the Clave tomorrow night…Your mother will be there.”

“Then we’re going,” Jace replied, his usual determination present, “Hell, I’d rather fight for the Clave than the Circle.”

There was silence around the room – there was no way to fill it.

“You need to sleep,” Bane said suddenly, breaking them out of whatever spell they were in. “We all have a big day tomorrow. It’s not much, but this room is yours.”

“Thank you.” Alec told him, finding himself meaning it, “There’s nothing we could ever do to repay you.”

Magnus shook his head, “Alexander,” He said, and Alec lost the air from his lungs at his full name, “The world could offer you everything you have ever wanted and it still would not repay you for what you have suffered.”

Alec shook his head, marveling at the words. What a ridiculous thing to say to him – Alec didn’t deserve anything of the sort. Before he could respond, Bane was turning on his heel, no doubt going to his own bedroom. Instead, the Lightwoods were together, alone, once again with only their thoughts.

“He can’t be lying,” Izzy asked, looking at Alec with such hope that Alec would be a monster to destroy it, “I thought you said…You said…”

_You said she had died the day we were taken._

Alec let out of breath of air, “I thought she did. I didn’t see it happen, Izzy. We were being dragged out by the Circle men and then…I heard her scream.”

“I heard it too.” Jace whispered.

Jace had been a Lightwood since he was four years old – though their mother never told Jace what his biological last name was, it had never mattered. The Lightwoods had taken Jace to their family in a way that was easier than breathing.

Jace was there with them the same day the Circle members had attacked their home. He was there when their mother was doing everything in her power to get to them. They had only heard it when they were almost in a portal.

The scream. Sometimes, Alec had nightmares of just the sound alone. It was like nothing Alec had heard before.

Jace put a comforting hand on his shoulder, “Bane’s right,” Jace said, throwing himself down on the ground with a huff, no doubt getting ready to sleep. “We need to sleep. Whatever happens in the morning, we’ll figure it out.”

Alec nodded, taking comfort in the words. He laid next to Jace, using his arm as a pillow as he always did. Izzy, of course, laid her head on Alec’s back. She was no longer crying, but Alec could feel her shaking. Without another thought, he found her hand and gave it a quick squeeze.

Through all the commotion, Alec didn’t realize that he no longer felt a painful burning sensation on his wrists.

The Lightwoods fell asleep, for once in their lives, with hope.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is...Not my greatest work. I am MUCH more excited to post the next chapter, which will include Magnus's POV. 
> 
> But in any case, I hope you enjoyed. Have a Shadowhunter filled day!
> 
> THANK YOU SO MUCH TO EVERY WHO COMMENTED, GAVE KUDOS, AND READ THIS. You are great!!!


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